Letters: Nov. 29, 1926

Opinions

. . . On Dec. 3, we are to have an International debate here with the University of Sydney, Australia, on the question: "Resolved, that the Modern Press exercises a harmful influence on the Community." Iowa State will uphold the negative. Since TIME is a weekly newsmagazine* which attempts to assimilate and re-picture news from a wide variety of sources, your staff must be able to present some very definite conclusion about the effects of news, editorials and advertisements of the Press of the country. Would you mind, therefore, telling me briefly what this re-action is, and how the TIME staff is guided in its own editorial policy? We have already had valuable replies from the editorial offices of the New York Times, the New York World, the New York Herald Tribune and several others. Your opinion will also be appreciated. HAROLD F. HARDING

Department of Public Speaking Iowa State College Ames, Iowa

TIME has no set of opinions to offer. Interested, it will report the debate under THE PRESS.—ED. Humor

Sirs:

I have been a regular reader of TIME for several years, and although its abbreviated form of all topics is commendable, and its editorial policy unique to the average man, still there is one feature absent from your pages that the majority of American magazines have. I am referring to humor. Aside from all the serious matter that you print, I am sure that a humorous column would be an added asset to TIME, and I am herewith inclosing a sample copy of JEST AROUND THE CORNER, for consideration. It is submitted at your usual rates.

LEON BLUMENFELD

New York, N. Y.

To the "majority of American magazines" TIME will leave the responsibility of supplying the U. S. with columns of humor. Extracts from "Jest Around the Corner":

"If all the brides put their first biscuits together we sure could build some fine roads." "America's chewing gum bill in the past year amounted to over $9,000,000, exclusive of the cost of gasoline necessary to remove it from trousers." "A Dumb Dora from South Hoboken wants to know if a man who plays the piano by ear is an acrobat."—ED. "No Predicament"